Department for Education

Voluntary and Community Sector National Prospectus Grants

Lord Nash: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childcare and Education (Sam Gyimah) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am pleased to announce, together with my colleague Edward Timpson, Minister responsible for children and families, that today we are publishing the results of the National Prospectus grants competition to fund voluntary organisations working with children and their families.   After a highly competitive application process we have chosen 94 projects that I believe will have a significant impact on children’s lives. This represents an investment of almost £25m in 2015-16 across seven key priority areas. The money will be spread between organisations specialising in adoption, children in care, early education and childcare, family advice and support, mental health, safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities. The grants are additional to existing government funding that supports these areas.   For the first time we identified mental health as a theme in the National Prospectus. I am very pleased to say that we received a number of high quality bids under this theme, and will be funding 17 projects worth almost £5m in total.   These projects will help children and young people, from the early years through to those making the transition to adulthood. We are also continuing to provide funding to the Young Minds helpline for parents worried about the emotional problems, behaviour or mental health of their children. Support will be given in a number of different ways including face-to-face, peer support, by telephone, online and through apps. They will also help specific groups of children who face particular issues: those who have suffered brain injury; homeless young people; bereaved children; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people.   Many of these projects will make vital links to schools. To support this, we are today also issuing two pieces of guidance which will help schools to make themselves places where mental health issues can be learned about and discussed openly and safely, and where effective early support is given for mental health issues through high quality counselling.   We have funded the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) Association to produce guidance that will help schools provide age-appropriate teaching on mental health problems from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and self-harm. This will be supplemented by specific lesson plans over the coming months so that schools can use them to plan for teaching from September.   We are also providing a new blue-print for schools on counselling services - developed in conjunction with experts in the field – which provides head teachers with practical advice on how to secure high-quality school based counselling services that meet the needs of those it intends to support   A list of all the organisations receiving funding through the National Prospectus grants is attached to this statement. 



National Prospectus grant awards
(PDF Document, 95.81 KB)





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Revisions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Strategic Plan

Baroness Garden of Frognal: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Jo Swinson MP) yesterday made the following Written Ministerial Statement:I am today laying before Parliament a copy of the Strategic Plan Revision for 2015/16 which has been prepared by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as required by Section 4 of the Equality Act 2006. The Commission will next revise the Strategic Plan by March 2016. I am also today placing in the Libraries of both Houses copies of a revised Framework Document agreed between the Government Equalities Office and the EHRC.


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Ministry of Defence

Royal Navy Nuclear Reactor Prototype Review

Lord Astor of Hever: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Michael Fallon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. On 6th March 2014, my predecessor announced his decision to refuel the nuclear reactor in HMS Vanguard, one of the UK’s four ballistic missile submarines, during its planned deep maintenance period. This was a prudent precaution following the discovery of a microscopic breach in the cladding around one of the fuel cells in the prototype reactor plant at our Shore Test Facility at Dounreay in Scotland. My predecessor also asked the MOD Chief Scientific Adviser to review again the evidence on which the decision was taken not to prototype the next generation PWR3 reactor, due to be fitted in the Successor ballistic missile submarines.The review was undertaken by three eminent nuclear experts, Professor Robin Grimes, Professor Dame Sue Ion and Professor Andrew Sherry. I have received the review Panel’s report and am grateful for the Panel’s efforts and insights.The Panel concluded that it was a valid decision not to prototype PWR3. They also agreed that there was no practical course of action that would have enabled a prototype facility to be built ahead of the first Successor submarine.The Panel have advised that, with no PWR3 shore test facility, far greater requirements will need to be placed on other elements of the submarine enterprise to provide data, experience and assurance to underpin safety and availability especially those elements that are unique to the UK. As such, I have agreed to their recommendation that the Department undertake a Nuclear Propulsion Capability Review to ensure the necessary capability and capacity is in place to sustain these requirements. This review will form part of the Department’s routine work to ensure that continuous at sea deterrence can be sustained now and in the future. The review confirms that the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment will not be required to support reactor core prototyping activity beyond 2015, as set out to Parliament on 2 November 2011 (Official Record, Col 37WS). It is anticipated that defueling and fuel management activities will continue at the site until 2022. The Vulcan Defuel and Decommissioning project is assessing detailed options which range from placing the prototype facilities into care and maintenance (while retaining the site’s strategic capabilities), to decommissioning the site and returning it to Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Initial decisions on the future of the site are expected around 2016.

Armed Forces Pay Review Body–Medical and Dental Officers

Lord Astor of Hever: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Michael Fallon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Supplement to the 2015 Report of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) making recommendations on the pay of Service Medical and Dental Officers has been published today. I wish to express my thanks to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their Report. In line with the Government’s 2013 Budget Statement, which announced that public sector pay awards would be increased by an average of up to one per cent for 2015-16, the AFPRB has recommended an increase of one per cent to base military salaries for all ranks within the Medical and Dental cadre for 2015/16. In addition, the AFPRB has recommended a one per cent increase in General Medical Practitioner and General Dental Practitioner Trainer Pay and Associate Trainer Pay, and the retention and expansion of the Golden Hello scheme for Medical Officers. The AFPRB’s recommendations are accepted in full with implementation effective from 1 April 2015. Copies of the AFPRB Supplementary Report are available in the Vote Office.

HM Treasury

The UK 2015 National Reform Programme

Lord Deighton: My honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (David Gauke) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Under Council Recommendation 2010/410 of 13 July 2010, Member States send National Reform Programmes each year, which report to the Commission on their structural reforms and plans. The UK 2015 National Reform Programme reports on actions taken by the UK as a whole, including by the government and by the Devolved Administrations where policy responses are of a devolved competence. The 2015 National Reform Programme: puts the UK’s structural reforms in the context of deficit reduction, the 2014 Autumn Statement and Budget 2015;reports on the broad macroeconomic context;reports on policies to tackle the six Country-Specific Recommendations addressed to the UK by the July 2014 Council of the European Union on: fiscal consolidation; housing market reforms; youth employment; low-income households, child poverty and childcare; access to finance; and the National Infrastructure Plan;and sets out the UK’s approach to national monitoring, in line with the five headline Europe 2020 targets agreed by the Council of the European Union in June 2010. The National Reform Programme is based heavily on the announcements and forecasts of Budget 2015 and the Autumn Statement 2014 It is, furthermore, drawn entirely from information already in the public domain. The UK's National Reform Programme will be available electronically via HM Treasury’s website after it is sent to the European Commission. 


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Public Services

Lord Deighton: My rt hon Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.On 5 March 2015 I published the conclusions of HM Treasury’s second evaluation of departments’ compliance with the rules governing off-payroll appointments in central government. The evaluation raised a number of concerns regarding implementation of the guidance at UK Export Finance. I stated that I had asked the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury to commission the Government Internal Audit Agency to carry out an independent audit of the implementation of the off-payroll guidance at UK Export Finance, following which further consideration would be given to the need for any sanction. The independent audit is now complete and has identified that the off-payroll guidance was not properly implemented at UK Export Finance. As a result I shall be issuing a fine against UK Export Finance of £500,000 for breaches of the guidance which involve the failure to seek proper assurance regarding the tax arrangements of a number of individuals. While the vast majority of off-payroll contracts are in place for legitimate reasons, I am committed to ensuring that the public sector demonstrates the highest standards of integrity in this area and that public sector employers meet all their tax obligations. The Treasury will continue to monitor compliance to ensure this is the case.   


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Progress Against the Coalition’s Commitment to Increase the Proportion of Revenue Accounted for by Environmental Taxes

Lord Deighton: My hon Friend the Exchequer Secretary (Priti Patel) has today made the following written statement.Over the Parliament this government has introduced reforms to the tax system to make it more competitive, simpler, fairer, and greener. As part of this, in May 2010 government committed to increasing the proportion of tax revenue accounted for by environmental taxes. In 2012, the government published its definition of environmental taxes which set the baseline for achieving that commitment. This statement provides an annual update of the government’s progress against that commitment, using the independent OBR forecasts published alongside the Budget.The government classifies environmental taxes as those that meet the following three principles: The tax is explicitly linked to the government’s environmental objectives; ANDThe primary objective of the tax is to encourage environmentally positive behaviour change; ANDThe tax is structured in relation to environmental objectives (for example: the more polluting the behaviour, the greater the tax levied). The government has defined the following as environmental taxes based on these principles:  Climate Change LevyAggregates LevyLandfill TaxEU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency SchemeCarbon Price Floor The OBR forecasts demonstrate that the Coalition remains on track to achieve its commitment to increase the proportion of revenue accounted for by environmental taxes.  Tax2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-20Climate Change Levy and Carbon Price Floor (£bn)0.70.70.61.11.52.02.01.91.71.5Aggregates Levy (£bn)0.30.30.30.30.30.30.30.30.30.3Landfill Tax (£bn)1.11.11.11.21.11.11.01.01.01.1EU ETS (£bn)0.40.20.30.40.30.40.40.50.60.8Carbon Reduction Commitment (£bn)0.00.00.50.60.60.80.70.60.60.6Total Revenue from Environmental Taxes (£bn)2.52.32.73.53.94.64.54.34.34.3Total Current Receipts Forecast (£bn)572.5593.4601.4624.1646.9667.4700.9731.2764.5804.3Proportion of total tax receipts0.4%0.4%0.5%0.6%0.6%0.7%0.6%0.6%0.6%0.5%   


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Department for Work and Pensions

Relationship Support

Lord Freud: My Right Honourable Friend [The Minister for Pensions] (Steve Webb MP) has made the following Written Statement. We will be extending seven contracts with organisations delivering relationship support provision and related services. These services include preventative support for couples during key transition points in their relationships; targeted support for parents with complex needs; work to promote healthy relationships and encourage the take-up of support services; help for couples experiencing difficulties; training for health visitors to recognise and respond to the signs of relationship distress; training for relationship support specialists; and policy development work. In addition we will be launching a pilot to test the inclusion of relationship education in peri-natal classes in eight areas of the country. The objectives of this pilot are to test the effectiveness of this approach in: - preparing couples for the impact having a baby will have on their relationship; - normalising the fact that relationship changes in this period are common; and - providing strategies on how to manage any differences/conflict. These contracts will be worth just over £7.2m with further funding earmarked to help Local Authorities develop strategies to help improve the quality of family relationships. This will bring total funding for 2015/16 to just under £8m. In addition, we will also be offering a 6 month extension to all of the 16 Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund projects, which focus on helping parents going through separation to resolve conflict and work together in the interests of their children. The extending projects will share in a total of £2.5m which will enable further work with families and the opportunity to gather more data to evaluate the success of these projects.


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The Lord Chairman of Committees

House of Lords: Financial Support for Members

Lord Sewel: The current scheme of financial support for Members of the House is based on a Resolution of the House and a Report of the House Committee (1st Report 2010-12, HL Paper 18), both agreed to by the House on 20 July 2010. The Resolution was not time-limited but the Report recommended that “any new arrangements are put in place for the duration of the present Parliament”.The scheme is now subject to a review that is set to conclude early in the new Parliament. To avoid any uncertainty in the interim, the House Committee has agreed that the current arrangements should continue into the new Parliament until such point as they are superseded by any new arrangements agreed to by the House.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Contingencies Fund advances

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Planning (Brandon Lewis) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Durham Housing Stock Transfer   Durham County Council proposes to transfer its housing stock of some 18,500 council and 180 leasehold dwellings to a new social landlord, known as the County Durham Housing Group. The transfer has the support of the Council and council tenants, who have given a positive ballot result.   To facilitate this transfer (which is still subject to the necessary approvals and consents) and which will require funding support of up to £214,000,000 the Department is seeking to increase its Capital AME budget for 2015/16 by £120,000,000.   Parliamentary approval for the 2015/16 funding increase is being sought in the Main Supply Estimates for the Department for Communities and Local Government. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure will be met principally from a repayable cash advance of £205,000,000 from the Contingencies Fund.   Ebbsfleet Urban Development Corporation   At Budget 2014, the Chancellor set out plans for a new Urban Development Corporation to deliver a Garden City settlement of up to 15,000 homes at Ebbsfleet in Kent. This is being taken forward in consultation with local MPs, councils and residents.   Urban Development Corporations are established by means of a statutory instrument under section 135 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. Our aim is to lay such a statutory instrument later this month with a view to establishing the Ebbsfleet Urban Development Corporation in April 2015.   Parliamentary approval for additional resources for this new body will be sought in the Main Supply Estimates for the Department for Communities and Local Government. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £633,000 will be met by a repayable cash advance from the Contingencies Fund. 


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Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Performance Targets for the National Meaurement & Regulation Office for 2015/2016

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: My Rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise and Energy (Matthew Hancock) has today made the following statement.I have tasked the National Measurement & Regulation Office (NMRO) to simplify technical regulation for the benefit of British business. I have agreed with the NMRO that their objectives for 2015-2016 will be to: · simplify the legislative framework for weights and measures and hallmarking to support well-functioning competitive markets, and use our strong international influence to shape new and existing EU legislation to ensure that burdens on UK business are minimised or eliminated and UK weights and measures protected, · provide the assurance businesses need to understand and apply legislative requirements and give them confidence that their investments in research and development are protected against unfair competition, · enforce technical regulations intelligently using the Regulators’ Code to achieve better outcomes for British businesses, · provide a legal metrology infrastructure to underpin trade measurement and confidence in the market, and certification services to enable businesses to export their products globally. The performance targets I have set the Agency are as follows:   Identify an appropriate methodology to measure the benefit to UK business from simplifying technical regulation including guidance and enforcement, and achieve an upwards trend in benefit over the next three years.   Generate a positive 3:1 net contribution to consumers and the environment as well as the low carbon economy, through enforcement team activities.   3. Deliver enforcement services to meet the expectations of Government clients.   Implement the New Legal Framework for EU measuring instruments legislation by the target date of April 2016.   Support stakeholders by ensuring at least 95% of gas and electricity metering enquiries are answered within three business days of receipt of all necessary documentation.   Achieve a satisfaction rating among Certification Service customers of at least 95% of customers scoring satisfied or above, with at least 60% scoring 'very satisfied'.   Achieve a 5% increase in income from the 2014/15 financial year.   Reduce the per capita overhead rate from 2014/15.   9. Ensure the smooth transition of finances and records of NMS activities from NMRO to BIS by the end of December 2015.   


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Department of Health

Health Services in the East of England

Earl Howe: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Jeremy Hunt) has made the following written ministerial statement. In November 2011 Hinchingbrooke Health Care National Health Service Trust entered into a franchise management contract with Circle Hinchingbrooke Limited. Circle Hinchingbrooke Limited has issued a termination notice to the contract, and arrangements have been put in place for the Trust to revert to operating independently again with effect from 1 April 2015.   Hinchingbrooke Health Care National Health Service Trust has always remained an NHS Trust with all of the buildings and equipment owned by the Trust, and all full-time staff apart from some of the executive leadership employed by the NHS. Responsibility for running the Trust will return to the NHS as of 1 April. A new Board has been appointed to run the Trust, led by Alan Burns as the Chair.   To ensure minimal disruption to services at the Trust, Circle will continue to provide certain procurement services for a limited period to allow for a long term plan to be put in place.   As for every provider of NHS services, the priority at Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust will continue to be the provision of safe, high quality services to patients. To address the concerns raised by the Chief Inspector of Hospitals in the CQC report, the NHS Trust Development Authority has appointed an Improvement Director as part of the special measures regime now in place at Hinchingbrooke Health Care Trust.   The Trust will be supported to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements and to ensure continuity of all services provided by the Trust, protecting care for patients and providing security for Trust staff. 


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Infected blood

Earl Howe: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Jeremy Hunt) has made the following written ministerial statement. In January 2011, my predecessor, the Rt. hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Andrew Lansley) recalled with sadness how what happened during the 1970s and 1980s, when thousands of patients contracted hepatitis C and HIV from NHS blood and blood products, is one of the great tragedies of modern health care. I would like to say on behalf of this Government how sorry we are for what happened, and express my sympathy for the pain and grief suffered by many infected people and their families.   Since 1988, the Government has established a number of schemes to provide financial support to people affected by that tragedy. The system has evolved in an ad hoc and incremental manner, now comprising five infection focussed schemes that operate according to their own individual criteria. In January 2011, this Government acknowledged the system then had shortcomings and introduced a number of improvements. Despite these improvements, there have been continued criticisms of the system, as reflected in the reports produced earlier this year by the hon. Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), and by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, and described by honourable friends and members across the House during the Back Bench Business Committee debate held on 15 January 2015.   From listening to a range of views on the current system, it is apparent that there might be some people who are experiencing significant ill health which may result from their infection(s) who feel they are not well supported by the existing system. However, it is important to recognise there are elements of the current system which do find favour among the beneficiary community. The challenge for any future Government will be to identify the most appropriate way of targeting financial assistance, whilst ensuring that any system can be responsive to medical advances and is sustainable for Government in financial terms.   I thank both the hon. Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) and the APPG for their reports, both of which we are considering carefully. It is with frustration and sincere regret that our considerations on the design of a future system have been subject to postponement whilst we awaited publication of Lord Penrose’s final report of his Inquiry in Scotland. We had hoped to consult during this Parliament on reforming the ex-gratia financial assistance schemes, considering, amongst other options, a system based on some form of individual assessment. However, I felt that it was important to consider fully Lord Penrose’s report before any such consultation. Given its publication today, we clearly are not in a position to launch a consultation, on one of the last sitting days of this Parliament.   However, Lord Penrose’s report has now been published. It can be found on the Inquiry website at: http://www.penroseinquiry.org.uk/. Whilst it will be for the next Government to consider all of Lord Penrose’s findings, I would hope and fully expect proposals for improving the current complex payment system to be brought forward, with other UK Health Departments.   In the meantime I am pleased to announce that I will be allocating up to an additional one-off £25 million from the Department of Health’s 2015/16 budget allocation to support any transitional arrangements to a different payment system that might be necessary in responding fully to Lord Penrose’s recommendations. We intend this to provide assurances to those affected by these tragic events that we have heard their concerns and are making provision to reform the system.   Finally I can formally announce that, in line with our consistent policy of openness, we are now preparing for transfer to the National Archive remaining Department of Health documents relating to blood safety for the period from 1986 to 1995. These documents, which will be open for public scrutiny, will be followed by subsequent tranches of documents covering later years.   Whilst I recognise that this statement does not immediately fulfil the desires of all who campaign on this matter, I hope that it signposts this Government’s positive direction on these matters. 


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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

March’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Lord De Mauley: My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Eustice) has today made the following statement.I represented the UK at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 16 March in Brussels. Rebecca Evans AM and Richard Lochhead MSP were also present.There were only agriculture items on the agenda.Organic production and labelling of organic products The Council held an orientation debate on the proposal for a Regulation on organic production and labelling of organic products. Most Member States agreed that good progress had been made. Austria and the Netherlands, however, repeated their calls for the proposal to be withdrawn, arguing that it would hinder rather than support development of the organic sector. I, along with a number of other Member States, argued for the removal of the requirement for annual physical inspections in favour of a risk based approach. I also stressed that the Commission’s proposal to move to an import regime based on compliance with EU rules should not impact negatively on developing countries and that a significant transition period should be included. The Presidency confirmed work on the proposal would continue with the aim of reaching a Council position in May.Milk Sector: market situation, trends and EU measuresThe Council discussed the milk sector focussing on the market situation, trends and EU measures. Poland stressed that its producers were finding the current market situation tough and France and Spain repeated their request for the Commission to consider stronger crisis management tools. I stressed that further work was needed to identify and develop new markets and urged the Commission to come forward with its feasibility study on dairy country of origin labelling as soon as possible. Commissioner Hogan acknowledged the difficulties in some parts of the sector but expressed optimism about global demand in the future. He also said he would consider suggestions for broadening the scope of the Milk Market Observatory.CAP implementation and simplificationCommissioner Hogan opened the session on CAP by announcing that he would consider extending the 15 May deadline by when farmers had to submit their Basic Payment Scheme applications given the administrative demands of the new regime. I supported Italy and other Member States in calling for that extension and I stressed that it should be a minimum of a month. The Commissioner also confirmed that his services were examining all of the ideas submitted by Member States in response to his simplification exercise. Ministers then proceeded to highlight a wide range of priorities for change, including the new greening requirements. I called for more realistic greening mapping and control regimes and argued that Member States’ own interpretations and implementation should be respected. The Presidency confirmed that they would seek to agree Council Conclusions on CAP simplification at the May Council.International agricultural trade issuesThe Commission provided an update on EU agricultural imports and exports and the progress of a range of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations during a Minister-only lunch session. I agreed with those Member States who stressed that the EU’s high production standards and system of geographical indications should not be undermined. However, I underlined that global trade could boost economic growth across Europe and that significant opportunities were available to the EU, in particular in negotiations with the US and Japan.AOB: Angora wool and fur from maltreated rabbits and furred animalsThe Netherlands highlighted the issue, mainly in China, of plucking live angora rabbits for wool and furred animals being maltreated. I shared their concern and stated that UK officials would approach our textile and clothing industry to better understand their position. The Commission noted that the World Trade Organization rules currently prevent the EU from imposing its animal welfare standards on third countries and agreed that a business to business approach would be best.AOB: Xylella fastidiosa in Southern Italy and risk of further spread in the EUCommissioner Andriukaitis underlined the seriousness of the threat of the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria not only for olive trees but also potentially to the wider agriculture sector. Italy explained what measures had been taken and that the eradication of host plants was now underway. I supported the need for stronger EU emergency measures as well as updating the Plant Health Directive, to provide better protection against all strains, from all countries and on all host plants.  


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Red Tape Challenge

Lord De Mauley: My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (George Eustice) has today made the following statement.As part of the Government’s Red Tape Challenge initiative, Defra will complete this Parliament an ambitious programme of reform to improve and simplify its regulation. These reforms will reduce regulatory costs to business by around £300m per year, thus helping to promote growth, whilst maintaining our high standards of environmental, animal and plant health protection.In total, 650 legislative reforms will have been made which will reduce the number of regulations in force by more than 20% compared to May 2010. I am today placing a full list of these legislative reforms in the Libraries of the House.Reforming the amount of guidance that accumulated over many years has also been an important priority. In May, Defra and its regulator network will have reduced their guidance by more than 70,000 pages, which is a reduction of over 80%. I am placing in the Libraries of the House the current Impact Assessment to support this reform.All Defra’s legislation in force is now accessible to the public via DefraLex, an on-line portal on legislation.gov.uk/defralex. This is designed to make legislation more accessible and easier to locate by businesses and the public.   


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